Monster?
by Serenity Dragonrider
Summary: takes place between Fatal Attraction by Splendidguy44, and Aftershock. Chris begins to quiestion if Serenity is actually safe around him. He keeps his distance from her out of fear of hurting her again. And Toothless knows exactly how that feels.
1. Chapter 1

Monster?

Wintertime was approaching Berk. The vikings and dragons were stocking up on food. Among them was their allies the Draconians. They normally would have headed home by now. But their Dragon Healer would soon be a midwife to Astrid in another month, so they decided to stay for a bit longer.

Re, the Draconian King, was a handsome emerald green with kelly green underside and ocean blue eyes. He was a Whippertail; the last third of his tail had no bones, just flexible muscle. He was able to use his tail as a whip and as an extra hand. He was as tall as a draft horse with the body and legs of a wolf, a long thick neck, narrow snout, and large gazelle horns. He wore a gold crown that had the Draconian crest on the forehead, a green dragon in a blue circle with his wings open and a golden apple and music note in his talons.

The Draconian Queen, Aurora, was also a Whippertail. She was sapphire blue with tropical blue underscales, and silver eyes. She was the only begotten daughter of the Dragon God, Lord Draco. She had the gift of magic, and only used it for good. She wore a silver crown that had a snowflake made of sapphires and turquoise stones on the forehead.

Tenor the rarest and most unusual dragon of the bunch. A part of him was Blackfang where his teeth was so venomous that they were black, and the other half was Night Fury. He was as tall as an Arabian stallion and glossy black. He had the legs of a panther, a long thick neck, narrow head, large square forehead, he had the body, wings, fins, sonar flaps, tail, and eyes of a Night Fury. His crown was black with a symbol on the forehead of a sliver crescent moon surrounded by silver stars. He was the Prime Minister. Draconia was a very large country with thousands of dragons living there. Re and Aurora weren't able to look after all 600,000 square miles all the time, Tenor helped them come up with solutions for any and all problems they face.

Tenor's mate, Windwalker, was a lovely female Night Fury. She had honey golden eyes, and a heart to match. She was the Captain of that Guard. She got to call the shots whenever the dragons faced any threat. She was also the alpha of a squadron of dragons that lived on Mt. Vulcan, one of Draconia's volcanic islands. Her new crown was also black with a silver hurricane shape on the forehead. Windwalker was one of the two Night Furies that was an alpha, and she was one of the two Night Furies that had a rider.

Windwalker's rider was Chris. He was abandoned as a baby and adopted by Re and Aurora. He had been separated from them by the sea when he was twelve years old. But it hadn't been all bad. He met Windwalker and her friends a short while afterwords, and helped them defeat the Song Dynasty. Ten years of fighting the Song eventually led him to Berk, and he was reunited with his family. Chris was a tall man with short black hair, tan skin, large ears, and dark brown eyes. He wore a black pants, boots, dark blue shirt, and a large black trench coat that had seal fur on the sleeve cuffs. He had half a dragon's heart beating in his chest, without it he wouldn't be alive.

The other human the dragons had taken under their wings was Chris's wife Serenity. She was a beautiful, young Dragon Healer and rider. She had a beautiful round face, and light golden brown hair. Her eyes were the same emerald green as Re's scales. She wore a green shirt, blue leather jacket and trousers, she had a cowboy hat that was covered in black dragon scales, and black leather fingerless gloves. Like Chris, she had been taken under the wing of a dragon; a red and orange Whippertail named Ruby. Her original family had thrown her out when she was five. On her right cheek was a faint scar where she had been hit with a shovel. And like Chris she had little dragon in her, when she was younger her human blood had been replaced with dragon's blood. Re was the type of dragon that would literally give his flesh and blood for his friends and family.

Re and Aurora's two dragonets, Apollo and Avalon, were among the next generation of dragons. Princess Avalon was teal green with violet horns and spines, and lavender eyes. Her crown was purple with a big green maple leaf on the forehead. Her brother, Apollo, was blood red with golden horns, eyes, spines, and talons. His crown was darker red with a gold symbol of a dolphin leaping over a lyre, surrounded by a wreathe.

The youngest dragonet was Tenor and Windwalker's daughter, Black Widow. She looked very much like her father, half Blackfang and half Night Fury, or a Nightfang. She had red eyes and a red hour glass shape on her forehead. She admired the spider she was named after as much as she did her elders. Her crown was black and had the same red hour glass shape on the forehead. Her rider-to-be was Serenity's and Chris's daughter, Edelweiss. She was still a toddler. She had long black hair, green eyes, large ears, and was born with dragon's blood in her veins.

The Draconians were currently based at their summer home on Dragon Island. Like all the other dragons they were migratory, and went south for the winter. This year was the one exception.

Chris woke up early one morning, before the sun was even up. He looked over at Serenity who was sleeping quietly. A lot had happened to her very recently. A vengeful Changewing had kidnapped her and almost killed her. But luckily she had been rescued by her guardian dragon, Ruby. She was still emotionally recovering. She told Chris that she felt safer with him around. He was pleased that she felt safe next to him, but he could help but ask; was she safe?

Chris was a very skilled fighter and Dragon Rider. He rode a Night Fury and knew martial arts. He certainly had the means of protecting Serenity, but he also had the means of hurting her. The fact that a villain had used all that to kidnap her, made him wonder if she really was safe being near him. He remembered luring her into a trap, tying her up, and handing her over to Hael. He remembered being forced to threatened her and the Speed Stinger paralyzing her preventing her from escaping. And for a few minuets afterwards, Serenity was afraid of him, didn't trust him. But then she forgave him and felt totally safe around him again. Chris didn't feel like he deserved to be forgiven after what he said and did. He felt like, well, a monster.

He got out of bed, dressed, and went outside. He leaned on the railing of the balcony. In the distance he could see the thin line of daylight. At that moment Tenor, Windwalker, and Black Widow returned from fishing at sea. Windwalker spotted her rider on the balcony by himself. She turned and landed next to him. Chris turned around as she folded her wings.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked. "Your up awfully early."

"Can't sleep," Chris answered quietly. "But I'll be okay." Windwalker growled in disapproval.

"I know there's something wrong," she said. She walked up beside him, her elegant black wings trailing on the ground like a cloak. She sat on her haunches and waited. Chris finally sighed.

"Serenity says she feels safe around me," he said. "But I wonder if she really is."

"You're worried that you're going to hurt her again," Windwalker said. Chris nodded and gripped the railing.

"I could have easily killed her that day in the woods," he said. "Every instinct told me to stop, but I didn't. Ruby at least had a way out."

"It wasn't your fault," Windwalker said. "You would never deliberately hurt her. And besides, you weren't the only one who lured her into a trap."

"You're right," Chris said. "Maybe she would be safer of if she wasn't around either of us."

"That's not what I meant," Windwalker said. But at that moment the sun had risen and Serenity had woken up.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Serenity woke up to find that she bed was half empty. She got out of bed and looked out the window. The door was left open and Chris was out on the balcony with Windwalker. Serenity went out to join them, the dragon's blood in her veins kept her warm. Chris and Windwalker turned around to face her, but no one smiled.

"Serenity, stop," Chris ordered, holding his hand out in a stop gesture. "It's not safe." Serenity paused, more out of confusion.

"What'd you mean?" she asked. She looked at Windwalker for clarification, she just shrugged.

"Serenity do you honestly feel safe around me?" Chris asked. "After what happened?"

"Yes," Serenity answered. "I feel safer around you, than I do alone."

"But I hurt you," Chris said. "If you hadn't been around me so much none of that stuff would have happened to you." He looked down in shame. "I'm a monster."

"No you're not," Serenity said, in her honey sweet voice. "You're no more a monster than the the dragons themselves." Windwalker purred at that. Serenity went to stand next to Chris

"No, don't," Chris protested. "I don't want to hurt you again." At that moment Edelweiss woke up and began crying for her mommy. Serenity reluctantly turned around and went back inside. She went to the crib in the corner. Edelweiss was standing up and holding onto the bars of her crib. She reach her little arms out and Serenity picked her up. She went back outside to find that Chris had flown away on Windwalker. She could see them far off in the distance. Tenor and Black Widow came out beside her.

"I hope you two aren't fighting," Tenor said, almost sounding amused.

"I don't know," Serenity said. "It seems Chris doesn't want me near him, he think's it's too dangerous."

"Really?" Tenor said, dropping his amused tone.

"He think's he's a monster," Serenity said sadly. She sat in her chair and sat Edelweiss on her lap. The child wormed closer to her mother. At that moment Re and Aurora landed on the balcony with Apollo and Avalon.

"Good morning," Aurora said cheerfully. "Where'd Chris go?" Serenity told them what she just told Tenor. The King and Queen looked at each other.

"He'll be back, I'm sure," Re said. "Then we'll all talk this over." Avalon placed her front paws on the arm rest of Serenity's chair and nuzzled Edelweiss, and licked her face. The child laughed and hugged Avalon's snout. Serenity scratched Avalon behind her horns, and the Princess purred.

Chris did eventually return to the island, after Windwalker talked him into doing so. By the time he landed on the balcony the sun had set and the stars were out. The island was quiet as all the dragons were either out hunting or in there caves asleep. Windwalker landed and Chris dismounted. Serenity and Edelweiss were already asleep. Serenity was wearing her pale blue night gown. Chris was hesitant to crawl into bed beside her. But he sighed and did so. After a while he fell into a troubled sleep. The nightmare he had was a hunting one.

He was still in bed and it was lighter outside. He felt that he was holding something. He sat up and saw a fancy dagger in his right hand. He turned and saw Hael crouched over Serenity, sneering. Bright green acid dripped to the floor. Without thinking Chris pounced on the villain and stabbed her repeatedly with the dagger. His hand and the dagger were soaked in dragon's blood.

The dream ended and he woke up. He blinked for a few seconds, then felt the dagger still in his hand. He raised his hand. He was still holding the dagger and it was covered in dragon's blood. He slowly turned to Serenity, and that she had been stabbed multiple times in the neck and chest. Her dragon's blood was all over the place.

"Oh no," he said in shock, throwing the dagger to the floor. He slowly realized that he'd killed his wife in his sleep, thinking she was Hael. He felt paralyzed by this.

"I knew you weren't safe around me," he said, in complete despair. He laid back down, and gripped her hand in his. He closed his eyes, hoping to die in his sleep.

But then he woke up, and it was morning. He looked at Serenity for a third time, and there was no blood. She was fine and breathing. Chris gently shook her.

"Serenity, wake up," he said, rather desperately. Serenity stirred and blinked her eyes open. She looked him in the eye, confused and worried.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"I thought I had killed you in my sleep," Chris said, relieved. "But I guess it was only a nightmare." Serenity gave him a look of sympathy. She sat up and leaned on her pillows.

"You upset yourself yesterday," she said. Chris sighed deeply and got out of bed. He headed outside.

"Where are you going?" Serenity called after him. "Please don't go away again."

"If I'm no where near you, I can't hurt you," Chris said, then left before she could protest further.

Serenity got out of bed, dressed, and got Edelweiss out of her crib. She went down to the throne room where the dragons had gathered already. She expected Chris to be among them, but he wasn't. She saw that Windwalker was there, so that told her he was still on the island. She sat in her chair and Edelweiss went over to sit next to the dragonets. Re sensed her worry at once.

"No luck with Chris," he said, it wasn't a question.

"No, and I'm sure the nightmare he had last night didn't help," Serenity said.

"What nightmare?" asked Aurora.

"I don't know," Serenity said. "All he said was that he killed me in his sleep." She shuddered at the idea.

"Did you see it Re?" asked Windwalker. The Dragon King shook his head.

"Chris and I share a heart, not a mind," he explained.

"You were able to locate him back on that island," said Aurora. Re nodded.

"But that doesn't mean I knew what he was thinking," he said.

"How does that work exactly?" asked Windwalker. "I've never heard of a dragon sharing his heart with a human."

"It doesn't happen too often," Re said. "When a dragon shares his heart with a human, that human shares in the dragon's strength and power, and every pain. As long as the dragon lives the human can't be killed, by anything. But if I'm killed, Chris is killed too."

"But a dragon can't share his heart unless Father gives them permission," Aurora said. "Because if the human heart becomes corrupted, the dragon does not get into the Dragon Heaven."

"Wow, so Chris has a very good chance of surviving this tournament," said Windwalker.

"Yes," said Aurora. "As long as Re stays out of harms way, he'll make it out."

"And I'll feel every injury he gets," Re added, grimacing.

"Should I go look for him?" Serenity asked. But at that moment the Riders of Berk, minus Astrid, landed outside and entered the throne room. The dragons changed their attention and flew to the ground.

"How's Astrid? asked Aurora.

"She's hanging in there," said Hiccup. "She really misses flying though."

"Id'll be worth it," Serenity said. Toothless noticed that her mind was off somewhere else. He went over and nudged her shoulder.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked. Serenity stroked his muzzled absentmindedly.

"I'm okay," she said. "But Chris, isn't."

"Why?" Toothless asked.

"He's convinced that I'm not safe around him," Serenity said. "He wants to keep away from me so that he doesn't hurt me again." She took a deep breath. "Apparently he's haunted by what Hael made him do."

"Ooh," Toothless said. It sounded like he understood the dilemma. He considered for a minuet. He looked over at the others who were discussing what different exotic dragon breeds lived where.

"I'm wondering if I should go find him," Serenity continued.

"Um, let me," Toothless said. "I think I can help him." He turned and snuck outside.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Toothless wondered through the woods and rocks looking for Chris. He soon found him near the tide pools, sitting on a fallen tree, looking out at the ocean. Toothless walked over quietly.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked. Chris just glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, and nodded. Toothless laid down in the dirt and crossed his front paws.

"Serenity told me what's been happening with you two," he said. "You're really afraid of hurting her again?" Chris nodded again.

"You blame yourself for what happened to her, even though technically you had no control over your actions," Toothless said. "You'll be haunted by all that for the rest of your life." Chris looked at him, surprised.

"How do you know?" he asked. Toothless sighed.

"Did anyone tell you what happened to the former chief of Berk?" he asked, sadly.

"All they said was that he was killed by the Bewilderbeast," Chris said. Toothless exhaled a long breath he forgot all about.

"They were just being nice to me," he said. "You see, the Bewilderbeast used his magic to hypnotize me. I was forced to turn on my own rider, I wanted to stop but the Bewilderbeast was strong. I was forced to open my mouth to shoot Hiccup with a plasma blast. For a few horrifying minuets I thought I was going to kill him, it was really scary. But then Hiccup's father, Stoic came out of no where. He shoved Hiccup out of the way just in time. But I shot Stoic instead, and killed him instantly. Once I found out what I had done, I just wanted to die. It took me ages to forgive myself." Toothless looked at the ground, reliving that horrible memory.

"Wow," was all Chris could say. "That's quite a burden."

"Yes," Toothless said. "Tying up Serenity and imprisoning her is a very bad thing, but at least you weren't forced to kill her. You're very lucky she's alive, and you might not have that much longer with her with the tournament coming up."

"That might have been what Draco was trying to tell me last night," Chris said, mostly to himself. "How did Hiccup react when you...?"

"He acted like he never wanted to see me again," Toothless said, answering the unfinished question. "I didn't protest though. But then he forgave me almost as quickly." Chris thought all this over carefully.

"Maybe you're right," he said. "It was lucky she wasn't killed. Sorry all that happened to you."

"It's okay," Toothless said. "It's behind me now. And the sooner you put everything Hael did behind you, the sooner you can move on." At that moment Toothless heard Hiccup calling him.

"We should head back," Chris said. Toothless just nodded in agreement. They stood up and headed for the throne room.

Back at the throne room Serenity was sitting in her chair on the ledge throne. Edelweiss and the dragonets were running about the cave, running off all their energy. Serenity was deep in thought. She was worried about Chris and hoped Toothless knew what to do. She didn't even notice that she was sweating a lot. At that moment the Draconians landed on the ledge throne, after seeing their neighbors off. They all sat around the fire pit, which Re shot fire into. Aurora looked over at Serenity, her animal instincts told her something was wrong. Serenity was sitting very still, her face drenched in sweat. She seemed to be in a deep, worried trance. The Queen when over and nudged her. She jumped and gave a small shriek.

"Hey, are you okay Serenity?" Aurora asked.

"Yes," Serenity said. "Just worried."

"Chris is on his way back," Aurora said. "You don't have to worry anymore, anyway you'll make yourself sick." Serenity took several deep breaths and felt better. Aurora narrowed her eyes a bit

"I can still smell fear on you," she said. "What's wrong?" Serenity was just about to answer when Chris came through the door. From outside came the sound of the Berkian riders flying home. Serenity got up of her chair and went down the set of stairs that had been installed for Serenity and her family. She all but ran to Chris and hugged him. He hugger her back.

"Feeling better?" she asked.

"Yes," Chris said, and he meant it. Then he noticed that Serenity felt warmer than usual. Her temperature was slightly higher than a normal human with dragon's blood in her veins, but she was warmer than even her normal temperature.

"You alright? you feel feverish," Chris said. He felt her forehead, and it blazed.

"I'll be okay," Serenity said. But she laid her head heavily on his shoulder. The dragons landed next to them.

"You've been so worried, it's cause you more stress than your able to handle," Aurora said.

"Worrying is part of my job as a dragon healer," Serenity said. The dragons growled in disapproval.

"If being a dragon healer is going to make you worry this much, then maybe you shouldn't do it anymore," Re said.

"No!" Serenity cried, almost instantly.

"At least for a while then," Re said. "You're probably the hardest working one among us right now, you need a rest." Serenity sighed and looked over at where Edelweiss was now throwing a ball for the dragonets to fetch.

"We'll look after her," Aurora said.

"Alright," said Serenity. She and Chris left the room and headed for their own.

When they got there Serenity sat on the foot of the bed and Chris sat next to her.

"You really don't think I'm dangerous?" he asked.

"No," said Serenity. "You may be a hard person to defeat in a fight, but that doesn't make you dangerous." Chris considered that.

"Huh, never looked at it that way," he said. He put at arm around her shoulders and she leaned as close as she could to him. She didn't feel quite as feverish, which was a good sign. But she still wasn't happy. Chris lifted her chin so she was looking him in the eye.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Were you just concerned about me?"

"That was my main concern yes," Serenity admitted.

"What were your other concerns?" Chris asked. Serenity sighed.

"I will admit, I am afraid," she said. "But I'm not afraid of you."

"What then?"

"I've been targeted by humans, wolves, I was targeted by a shark once, and now I've been targeted by a dragon," Serenity went on. "Who's going to come after me next?"

"Oh I see," Chris said. "You're afraid of being kidnapped again." Serenity nodded.

"I don't want to leave Edel without a mother," she said.

"Don't worry, nothing will happen to you," Chris said. "Cross my heart." Serenity seemed relieved, at least for the moment. Then Chris gently pulled her lips to his. The kiss seemed to wipe her mind clean of all worry, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. When they separated they hugged each other.

"Are you tired?" Chris asked.

"Yeah a bit," Serenity admitted. Chris took her hat of her head.

"You seem very attached to this thing," he said.

"I don't fly without it," Serenity said. "It keeps the sun off my face and neck. It's also has Tenor's scales all over it."

"Well, you should get some rest," Chris said, hanging the hat on the bed post. "You've worn yourself out." He traced the almost invisible scar on her cheek with his finger.

"Alright," Serenity said. "I could use a break." She kissed his cheek then stood up. She crawled into the bed and laid down, pulling the blanket over her. Chris sat on the bed near her.

"You don't think I'm a monster?" he asked.

"Chris, you're no monster," Serenity yawned, as she drifted off. "You're, a dragon." With that she fell asleep.


End file.
